What should you do when someone faints?

Fainting, also called syncope, is a temporary loss of consciousness usually caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain. This loss of consciousness is often due to either a sudden drop in blood pressure or a very slow heart rate. But do you know how to react when someone faints?

Fainting, also called syncope, is a temporary loss of consciousness usually caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain. This loss of consciousness is often due to either a sudden drop in blood pressure or a very slow heart rate. But do you know how to react when someone faints?

1 – First make sure the person is still breathing, is not injured, is not bleeding and regains consciousness within a minute. If this is not the case, call 911 immediately. 2 – Loosen the clothing around the person’s neck. 3 – Lie the person down in a cool and calm place for at least 10 to 15 minutes after he or she has regained consciousness. Elevate the person’s legs above heart level. If the person has vomited, turn them on their side to prevent choking. 4 – If it is impossible to lie the person down, have him or her sit with their head below their knees, between their legs. It is normal for a person to feel tired a few minutes to a few hours after fainting.

Although syncope can be of absolutely no medical importance, it can also be caused by a serious disease. The most common triggers of fainting include: standing up for a long period of time, heat, dehydration, the sight of blood, coughing, forcing to go to the washroom or intense emotions. In some cases however, it is impossible to pinpoint the cause of fainting.

Prior to fainting, a person is often hot, feels nauseous, feels dizzy, has clammy hands or has troubled vision. If you think you are going to faint, either lie down, or sit down with your head between your knees. It is important to speak with your physician if you lose consciousness repeatedly or on a regular basis. No treatment is actually required in most cases. All that can be done is identifying what triggers the spells and avoiding them, eating and drinking regularly and standing up slowly. However, syncope can also be a sign of cardiac, vascular or neurological dysfunction for which treatments are not only required, they are absolutely necessary. It is important to speak with your physician if you are having fainting spells, but even more so if you: - Are taking a new medication; - Are aged 50 and above; - Are pregnant; - Have fainted more than once within one month; - Did not have any warning signs before a fainting spell; - Experienced chest pains, had an irregular heartbeat, were short of breath or had troubled vision before or after fainting.

By remembering the warning signs and knowing what to do when someone faints you can be of great help!